Do you remember the Family Truckster, from the old National Lampoon Vacation movie? Well, I saw it today. Or, more likely, I saw a replica, which was parked at a rest stop on the NJ Turnpike.
Aside from being surprised at this sight, I was also surprised that so few people seemed to notice itsā¦ uniqueā¦ styling. Most of the forum members can probably tell that it began life as a 1979 Ford Country Squire.
That was a great movie
Well that really brings me backā¦to the time I had one (not really tho). But I didnāt order it. It was supposed to be the Super Sport Wagon in Antarctic Blue.
You have to be a person of a certain age to catch the reference to the Sport Family Trucksterā¦
A bit like seeing a black and white 74 Dodge Monaco with a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch V8 plant, cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks made before catalytic convertors so it runs on regular gasā¦
106 miles from Chicago, with a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, its dark, driven by guys wearing sunglasses
And black suits.
Mystery Machine replicas are popular. Thereās one in a driveway near me.
A buddy has a friend that built his own Batmobileā¦ the 1960s version.
And then built Batmanās Tumbler Batmobile.
He also has his home office configured as Bruce Wayneās from the 60ās TV show complete with a closet with bat-poles!
A serious fan
Actually our local chamber of commerce has a very similar vehicle that is parked in their lot and used for special occasions . They seem to think it is great fun but Iāve never quite understood the connection. Kinda thought it was dumb..
The whole Vacation series was dumb. Dumb humor.
Dumb humor has been around forever. Laurel and Hardy, Abbott an Costello, Burns and Allen, to name a few. George Burns used to say that heād set up Gracie, stand back, and watch the show. Iām not a high fan of Chevy Chase, maybe itās just that Iām older now. Iām not as fond as I used to be of Lucille Ball and the Marx Brothers.
My all time favorite comedy routine is dumb humor: Curly and the Clam. Curly Howardās skills as an actor actually make you believe heās dumber than a clam. I still laugh out loud when I see it.
Neither are any of the actors and actresses who ever talked about having worked with him. They all reported that he was an inconsiderate, self-centered jerk.
While a lot of the comedy was dumb slap-stickā¦Their āWhoās On Firstā routine is LEGONDARY. Been copied and performed by many comedians. Is considered by many as the best comic routine EVER. It plays non-stop at the Baseball Hall of Fame. It stands up today. Iāve seen kids today who laugh hysterically at it.
+1
Even though (as a kid) I thought that Abbbott & Costelloās usual shtick was pretty dumb, Iāve always thought that their āWhoās on Firstā routine was very good.
And, just to keep this car-related, here is a pic of Lou Costello sitting in his Playboy car, circa 1949.
For those who are too young to recall the brief hey-day of the Playboy car: Playboy Automobile Company - Wikipedia
I was a fan of Jack Benny. I listened to the Jack Benny show on the radio before our family got a television in 1954. We then watched the Jack Benny show on television. I particularly liked the scenes with his Maxwell automobile.
The sputtering sounds from his Maxwell were done by Mel Blanc.
Red skelton was a favorite when I was a kid. My dad and I used to watch without fail and thought he was hilarious. 30 years later though I didnāt think he was that funny. I guess we change. I even really liked Steve Allen. I think in fairness though the current class posing as comedians are truly unfunnny. Maybe itās th3 class of writers. I dunno.
I think humor is subjective
And I also think peopleās perceptions change over time
Iām a big fan of classic movies . . . and the humor is often the part that just doesnāt work in 2025
There have always been acts that I didnāt like. Of the newer comedians, Jeff Foxworthy is very funny. His You Might be a Redneck one liners are terrific. The more I listened the more I saw myself in his jokes. After hearing his routines several times, Iāve decided that in addition to us all being bozos on this bus weāre all rednecks too.
Oh, and Steve Allen is one of my all time favorites. I used to rush home from school to watch his variety show in the late afternoon.
Iāll have to add that I think the Babylon bee is truly funny.
Ron āTater Saladā White. The funniest of the Redneck Comedy Tour, IMHO.
Best storyteller, best timing of any comic working today.
